Hypnos

Now in paperback,-René Char-s Hypnos is both a remarkable work of literature and a document of unique significance in the history of the French Resistance. Hailed by the poet Paul Eluard as an "absolute masterpiece" upon its first appearance in 1946, René Char-s Hypnos is both a remarkable work of literature and a document of unique significance in the history of the French Resistance. Based on a journal Char kept during his time in the Maquis, it ranges in style from abrupt and sometimes enigmatic reflections, in which the poet seeks to establish compass bearings in the darkness of Occupied France, to narrative descriptions that throw into vivid relief the dramatic and often tragic nature of the issues he had to confront as the head of his Resistance network. A tribute to the individual men and women who fought at his side, this volume is also a meditation on the white magic of poetry and a celebration of the power of beauty to combat terror and transform our lives. Translated into Ge